Canadian punk band Comeback Kid are back with their latest album, Die Knowing. Nearly four years since their last release, the 2010 Symptoms + Cures. Die Knowing is a clear shift in a darker, grittier direction to a more classically hardcore sound. A lot of Comeback Kid fans have been hopefully waiting for a return to the style of their hit album Wake the Dead, with it’s catchy crowd pleasing choruses which Symptoms + Cures took a very good bash at replicating. While Die Knowing does not do that it brings a refined aggression which may not have you singing along to every moment but will get you destroying all before you!
Starting with the album title track you immediately get the darker feel with a heavy, chuggy build up, increasing in intensity and aggression throughout but keeping the pace fairly slow compared with what you would normally expect from a Comeback Kid track. Next up, the upbeat Lower the Line with its viciously heavy intro sets the tone for the rest of the album with old school style hardcore thrown at you track after track.
You do get some moments with a more classic Comeback Kid feel, firstly with the exceptional first single from the album Should Know Better, which is also the song of the album and with the final track Sink In, you get catchy riffs and choruses which will get you rocking along wherever you may be. It is also hard to avoid getting the heavier repeating chorus of Wasted Arrows stuck in your head with the pounding drums adding emphasis.
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Giving the album more variety, Unconditional, with a slow start throws in poetry style vocals that beautifully glide you through the song undulating in line with the music. There are a couple of weaker tracks on the album, Beyond and Didn’t Even Mind, which although not bad songs they did not add much extra to the record.
This album is not going to please everyone and it does take a while to grow on you but it is a clear mark in the direction the band is taking. The feel is kept consistent throughout but adds variety with each track to keep you hooked. Although Die Knowing may not get everyone singing along to every track it is sure to get people moving. Hopefully there will be a shorter wait for the next Comeback Kid album.
